By the tenth day we reached the south border of Megalopolis, the Sena River, where we set up camp. Just as we pledges were fixing up our tents, Julia approached us and spoke:

“Megalopolis has a law that dictates no armies can enter their borders. So our legionaries will stay behind. And we will be picked up tomorrow morning. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

“Picked up?” Otho frowned. “With their eagles?” His eyes widened.

“That is correct,” she grinned.

“I mustn’t drink too much water today. It would be ill to urinate on a back of such a magnificent creature.”

We all laughed.

“Undiplomatic as well,” Julia smiled and left us to our work. We woke up to a cold morning. It was the middle of the ninth month of the year. Summer was saying its farewell. I changed my wardrobe from light tunic, sandals and cape to sheepskin boots, woolly cloak and warm trousers. I also put a hat on my head, tied it with strings, so it would stay on during the windy flight. Others did that as well. I then built a fire, while Otho fetched us some food from the supply carts. The girls joined us and we ate in silence. When we finished eating, a nearby legionary yelled:

“There they are!”

We all looked up to the sky and saw giant eagles in the distance gliding through the cold air. They were magnificent and – as they were coming closer and closer – intimidating as well. They landed twenty steps from the tents, creating strong winds with their wide flapping wings. The whole camp came closer to catch a glimpse of these wondrous beasts. There were seven of them, six were intended for our party, and one was occupied by an older man with an orange beard. He wore a red-yellow tunic with black trousers and brown leather boots. His orange beard was the defining feature of his face, although the color of his gray eyes stood out as well. His was short, but not as short as a full-blooded Dwarf. He wore a simple iron helmet that was strapped to his head. He dropped to the ground and sneezed, which almost made me burst into a hysterical laughter.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Forgiveness, dear Vetulonians,” he apologized and bowed his head gracefully. Then he sneezed again. This time I was trying very hard not to laugh. He continued:

“I am Lorelian, the emissary for our current consul. She had to attend to some urgent matters this very morning and asked me if I could welcome you to our home.”

“Thank you, Lorelian, I am Tiberius Decimus, Lord of Vetulonia, this is Julia Janus, the Vicelord. And these are pupils of ours, Otho, Antonius, Flavia and Cecila.”

He left out Atia and that bothered me, but then again she wasn’t coming with us, so there was no need for introducing her. Again, Lorelian bowed, but this time he didn’t sneeze. I was somewhat disappointed by that. Tiberius continued:

“I’m afraid we've never flown with your eagles before.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to it, really. You hold on to the rope they have around their necks – with a firm grip – and you’ll be fine. And even if you fall, there’s a quite good chance they’ll catch you.”

“Can you define good chance?” Julia asked and Lorelian laughed.

“Do not worry, Vicelord. All will be well. So, who wants to go first?” I remained silent. Otho raised his hand.

“I’ll go first.”

“Ah, yes, brave young lad. Come here.”

Otho approached the eagle that seemed indifferent to what was happening.

“Jump on his back. Yes, that’s it. You see the rope? Grab it and lie now, legs stretched. That’s it. Yes! There you go. And don’t worry! It’s easier than riding a horse, especially once they reach heights. Next!”

Soon we were all set. Being on the eagle’s back felt intimidating, but in a strange way soothing as well. Its breathing was slow and gentle. And it smelled nice. I realized that I had never smelled a bird before, a first time for everything!

“On three I’ll give them a sign and we’ll be on our way, so be ready. One… Two… Three…” Lorelian whistled and the eagles took off. At first the ride was quite wonky and I held to that damned rope as hard as I could. My life depended upon it! But once the eagles reached certain height, the ride became smooth and elegant. The wind was unbearable though, and kept threatening to blow me off its back. I was surprised by how fast we reached their capitol, also called Megalopolis. We were to stay there for three days.